Can anyone provide experiences with live updates with significant download file sizes "failed to install updates" error (8920,211) with dial-up modems? I have two pcs which pretty much from day one have both had this behaviour with XPsp3. I have tried symantec support via email, to which the only thing we could come up with was to use uninstall tool in safe mode and re-install with latest installation engine. Which I did today (and 3 months ago too with no change). No joy. Same problems with the live update process. Used online chat, to which the support guy said "its because your internet connection is too slow" and promptly hung up and rebooted my computer in front of my eyes. I can eventually get the updates done, provided I sit in front of the pc pushing the Live Update button repeatedly anywhere from 2 to 40 times depending upon how much needs to be downloaded. To me, it seems as though that by the time one of the update files has downloaded, the symantec servers have timed out and moved on to other things leaving the update process partially downloaded and the partially downloaded files won't install until all update files are present. I can find no mention on the retail box that the system requisites are ADSL conections for updates, so I am hoping that the support tech is incorrect. Otherwise I am at the point of getting rid of NIS 2009 - which I don't want to do because it has been the best I have used to not hog resources, unlike other antivirus software I have used.
Do you use a proxy server to connect to the internet? If you are not sure, contact you ISP and explain your problem. If you use a proxy server, you should change NIS settings. The link below explains how to configure network proxy settings:
As your internet connection is slow, I suggest that you should turn off Pulse Updates and update your virus definitions manually. You can turn off Pulse Updates from "Settings - Computer Settings - Update".
Thanks for the info. Appreciate your help. Vejdin, I have asked ISP for proxy settings and made changes. Unfortunately no change when running manual updates. Bowwie, I have avoided using the automatic updates as the principle method of update because I am not on the net long enough for it to download in the background when I am doing other things, plus I don't know how protected I am because the green tick doesn't really mean much (after a brand new installation with over a month old virus defn updates, the green tick is still present!) Consequently I run manual live updates all the time.
Do you see any patterns on when you get LiveUpdate (LU) download errors on each dial-up modem connection session? I recently have seen bad dial-up modem connections that will cause downloads to be aborted with similiar errors. I disconnect and reconnect, and it was fine. This was with an old external USB Hayes 56K modem on an old Dell Dimension 8250 machine (512 MB of RAM) with an updated Dell OEM Windows XP Home SP3 (IE6).
You can see my set-up from my signature and I have no problem getting large updates via my dial-up connection on which my usual speed is 45.2Kbps. I thought it would be problematic, but it isn't although it's obviously rather slow!
I've actually stopped a large update via LiveUpdate if I've had to shut my PC down for any reaon and the update will carry on from where it left off when I reboot annd run LiveUpdate again.
My NIS is running on the default settings apart from one change to the Firewall settings.
Thanks Madeline and Pi for your suggestions. It is good to see that there are some people out there that don't experience problems with dial up. I have received an *official* fess up from Symantec Support.... "Regarding the internet connection as you have mentioned that you have connected with 50.2 KBPS connection dial up, I wish to inform you that the LiveUpdate server is capable of using a dial up connection but the dial up connections are not consistent. These type of connections will break in between which will result in the corrupted file download. That is the issue that you are encountering currently with the connection."
Basically I deduce from this is that it leaves me running intelligent updater (because I do have broadband connection access, just not on the pc running NIS) and periodically running the lastest installation executable periodicaly to update the NIS engine etc. To answer your question pi, it is generally the virus definitions as part of a package update that cause me grief, however it has failed installation on other types of updates too. Where it breaks is not consistent either - I can download a 4-5MB update, but when I run the LU again, it may only download 1.2mb or even as low as 256kb before the update process stops and the failed installation appears. I don't think it is the modem, as I have it on two completely different pcs with different modems and they display the exact same behaviour when updating NIS. The ISP is however the same, although I have set the proxy server settings, which made no difference. In any case, I have had 5 different antivirus solutions over the years (including NAV 2000-2003) on these pcs and none of them had any issues with their update process (other than taking lots of time to complete!)
Hi imneedy. I forgot to say before that I've had that 'failed to install' message, but only occasionally and not at all recently. It happened a few times when I still had whichever version was current in November last year.
I'm fortunate in that my dial-up connection is usually very steady and reliable. This was achieved after a we put a lot of pressure on our ISP who then finally managed to find a fault on our line and increase the gain on it too. This made a lot of difference for us.
It makes me wonder if there's a problem on your line that isn't showing up on normal tests. Our supplier insisted that our line wasn't faulty and this appeared to be true as we could make and receive phone calls successfully, but an Internet connection is more susceptible to various kinds of interference on the line. Our Internet connection was appalling, much slower than our present 45.2 or 44.0Kbps and had a lot of unexpected disconnections. This is now a thing of the past after a great deal of pressure from us with the added intervention of our MP (Member of Parliament).
I don't know where you live, but it might be a good idea to get your line checked out just in case there is a problem there that isn't being picked up.
Incidentally, I've always used NIS and have rarely had trouble updating it.
Another thing has just occurred to me. I tend not to do anything else while I’m downloading an update whether it’s for NIS or another program I don’t know if this helps, but I think it must be better if there’s no other process to interfere with the download. If it’s a very big download, I get it when I wouldn’t otherwise be using the PC so that it’s not inconvenient in any way.
Thanks Madeline. All great thoughts. I too try to avoid download or use internet whilst doing update. I don’t think it makes a lot of difference though. Interesting about the line issues. How did you start the investigation to get someone to look at the lines? I must admit, I connect at 49.2k on one computer, and 50.2 on another which is in a different location and using a different phone line. Both exhibit same behaviour. So possibly not phone line issue, although they both use the same ISP… I have set proxy server settings, but doesn’t make any difference either.
It does make a difference if you let Norton and probably other programs update without anything else going on. After my previous post on here, I tried updating NIS while I was doing a couple of other things. There were 3 updates, 2 of which installed successfully, but the 3rd one didn't. I tried again when nothing else was going on and it installed fine.
We got the investigation on our line going by persistent nagging of BT who provide our line. They never like to admit that any problem's their fault, but an ex-BT engineer, who's a friend of ours, knew what was wrong as soon as we told him what was going on and we took it from there.
@ Pi
Our main ISP is BT Yahoo! but they allow us only 150 hours per calendar month. I can easily use that on my own and there are 2 of us using this PC so we have another ISP as well which is Fast4.net. Since our line was repaired, both work equally well.
